Beauty
by axelkairi
Summary: What happens when you forget your one true love? Will the beauty of the past still hold true? AxelKairi.


**He** walks outside, to the backyard of Castle Oblivion. It's a strange place, the backyard. It's covered with grass and wildflowers, with trees poking up from the ground here and there, offering flowers and fruit and sweet smells. The only thing out of place is the eleven-foot cement wall caging all of the beauty inside. **He**'s thought of the reasons behind this before. Nobodies want hearts. Hearts are the symbol of love, and of beauty. If Nobodies want hearts, then they must want beauty as well, right? So they cage it in, in this sanctuary, this jail cell. And it can never hope to escape. For beauty cannot travel, cannot choose where it wants to be. Beauty will always be caged, whether by a wall, or by a flower, or a face.

And the face to **his** left is the embodiment of beauty.

**He** has no idea where this girl has come from, **he** just knows that _**she**_ is here now. _**She**_ is shorter than **him**, but about average height for _**her**_ age - _**she**_ looks to be about fifteen. **He** is still a full foot taller than _**her**_. _**Her**_ hair is a red-brown, auburn if you will, and _**her**_ eyes are an impossible purple-blue. _**Her**_ lips are pressed together tightly in anger, and _**her**_ nose crinkles with the effort. It only makes _**her**_ look like a child having a tantrum, but it's the cutest thing **he** has ever seen.

A tentative look appears in _**her**_ captivating eyes. "Axel?" _**she**_ asks.

**He** closes **his** eyes breifly, letting the sweet sound of _**her**_ voice carress **him** as it rides on the wind. _**She**_ doesn't appear to notice. "Yeah, that's me," **he** says, turning to face _**her**_. **He** tries to hide **his** awe as **he** takes in _**her**_ beauty at this better view. _**She**_'s incredibly skinny, almost like **him**, but _**she**_ doesn't look malnourished. _**Her**_ skin has a healthy, tan glow to it, complementing _**her**_ eyes and pink lips. _**Her**_ clothes match _**her**_ lips: a pink dress with at least three zippers running down vertically with a white camisole underneath. The dress has a black belt across _**her**_ tiny waist, and two uneven pockets at each side. A long stretch of black fabric hangs out from one of the pockets, with a few little pink strings attached. _**Her**_ shoes are big pink sneakers, and _**she**_'s messed with the laces: they cross once over _**her**_ shoes, then criss-cross up _**her**_ ankles. _**She**_ also wears a black and white wristband on _**her**_ left wrist, and a necklace that has slipped underneath _**her**_ cami.

Only someone as gorgeous as _**her**_ could wear such outrageous clothes and still make them look amazing.

"Now the question is: who are you?" **he** finishes, gesturing toward _**her**_ with one hand.

_**She**_ takes a step back and _**her**_ eyebrows furrow in confusion. A word seems to form on _**her**_ lips, but dies there as well. Finally, _**she**_ speaks again, _**her**_ voice nearly a breath of disbelief. "You don't... remember me?"

**He** raises a brow. "Remember you?" **he** repeats. **He** thinks for a moment. "No, not ringing a bell." **He** shrugs. "Sorry."

"How could you..." _**She**_ walks forward, toward **him**, but stops after a few steps. _**She**_'s still well far away from **him**. "Are you sure?" An edge has come into _**her**_ voice now, the anger beginning to return to _**her**_ pretty features.

"Positive." **He** runs a hand through **his** hair. "Listen, sweetheart, I don't rememer a lotta the people I meet, or kill if you're one of those, so don't take it all personal."

"But you _should_ remember me!" _**She**_ stomps up to **him**, _**her**_ face contorted once again, with anger, and frustration. "I'm _Kairi._ Your _girlfriend._"

Girlfriend? **He** bites back a smile. The very idea of this girl being **his** girlfriend is enough to make **him** want to drag _**her**_ in by the waist and capture those tempting lips with **his** own, just to see if _**she**_ is telling the truth. But **he** doesn't. **He** simply shrugs once more. "I told you, I'm sorry, but I don't remember you. Look, you might've just gotten the wrong impression. If I met you in a club, then you're probably not my -"

As **he** speaks, _**her**_ eyes are filled with more and more fury, until finally, _**she**_ lifts a hand and strikes **him** hard across the face.

**His** sentence is cut short by the force of the blow, and **he** catches himself by stepping out with one foot. _Damn, __**she**__ can hit hard,_ **he** thinks. **His** eyes travel back to _**hers**_. _Look, Katie - whatever your name is - I don't care how pretty you are. Nobody hits me._

**He** closes **his** hand around _**her**_ throat before _**she**_ can take another breath, and lifts _**her**_ up to eye level.

_**She**_ coughs and chokes, obviously unprepared for the assault. The anger remains in _**her**_ eyes, however, and _**she**_ manages another sentence. "What, so hitting me before wasn't enough for you?"

**He** is about to ask _**her**_ what _**she**_ means when **he** spies an ugly looking bruise on the side of _**her**_ face. Did **he** do that? **He** doesn't remember it. Impossible; _**she**_ must be lying.

**He** sighs. "I don't have time for this." **He** lets _**her**_ go and watches as _**her**_ knees crumple underneath _**her**_, making _**her**_ fall to the ground violently. "You must be looking for another Axel, Katie, 'cause I didn't hit you. I don't even _know_ you. So get outta my face."

_**She**_ stands up shakily and raises a hand to _**her**_ chest. _**She**_ rips off the necklace _**she**_ is wearing and throws it to the ground, tears in _**her**_ eyes. _**She**_ turns on her heel and runs away, sobbing.

**He** raises an eyebrow again as **his** eyes travel down to the silver necklace shining in the grass. **He** leans down to pick it up, then straightens and examines it. It is a chain of tiny chakrams, like **his** own, linked together to form jewelry. **His** eyebrows furrow in confusion. **He** didn't give this to _**her**_. But who else had those chakrams? It couldn't be a coincedence.

**He** puts the necklace on. _Who cares? That crazy girl is gone, and I have a cool necklace. All's well._

And at that moment, two teenagers burst through the doors of the backyard. **He** recognizes Sora and Riku, both with angry faces. _Why's everybody pissed off today?_ **he** wonders, but brushes it aside. "What do you guys want?" **he** asks, **his** voice almost a sigh of exhaustion.

"How could you do that to Kairi?" Sora asks, stopping a few feet from **him**.

"Oh, it's Kairi?" **he** replies, ignoring the question. "I thought it was Katie."

"You should be happy Leon is still in there with her," Riku says. "He'd kill you for this."

"Oh, Leon's here is he?" **he** asks. "Well, perhaps I'll pay him a visit." **He** summons the shadows beneath **him** and allows them to envolop **him**, transporting **him** to the entrance hall of Castle Oblivion.

Leon stands with _**her**_, a hand on _**her**_ shoulder as _**she**_ wipes away tears. At the sound of the shadows, the two look up. Leon's expression hardens as Leon lays eyes on **him**; _**her**_ face changes from sadness to fury. _**Her**_ eyes drop from **his** eyes to the necklace, then back again, even angrier than before.

"Leon!" **he** greets, smiling. "It's been much too long!"

"Not long enough," Leon growls, drawing Leon's sword. Leon runs to **him**, Leon's teeth ground together.

"Oh, not this again," **he** mutters. **He** kicks the sword up, then shoots an arm out to catch Leon at the neck, making Leon's head snap back. **He** finishes with a punch to the small of Leon's back, and Leon crumples to the floor, unconscious.

_**She**_ lifts _**her**_ eyes from Leon to **him**, _**her**_ anger replaced by fear.

**He** smirks. If there's any emotion that suits that beauty best, it's fear.

Sora and Riku run into the hall, breathless already. _They won't put up much of a fight,_ **he** knows. **He** takes Sora first, dodging an attack from the Keyblade, then punches Sora in the gut. Sora doubles over, and **he** uses this opportunity to slam **his** fist down on the back of Sora's head. Sora falls, just as Leon did, unconscious.

Riku doesn't seem to care about how easily **he** has just taken down Riku's friends. Riku rushes **him**, but **he** easily knocks the Keyblade aside and summons **his** chakrams quickly. **He** sets them ablaze and jumps away before Riku can cut **him** with the Keyblade. **He** shoots fire into Riku's eyes; Riku groans and stumbles. **He** smirks and flings out **his** chakrams like boomerangs, cutting deep into Riku's abdomen. After one cut by each weapon, Riku falls unconscious with Riku's fellow companions.

_**She**_ is the only one left, pressing herself against a white pillar next to the stairs. _**Her**_ fear has turned into terror.

**He** saunters up to her, and watches greedily as _**her**_ eyes widen with every step **he** takes. Oh, how **he** wishes **he** could steal _**her**_. Take _**her**_ up to **his** room and kiss _**her**_, hold _**her**_ face between **his** hands, and pull _**her**_ up against **him**. But it is not to be. _**She**_ has angered **him** enough; **he** will put up with _**her**_ no longer.

"Axel, wait!"

**He** turns and lays eyes on Larxene. **He** sighs inwardly. How long will that blonde psychopath chase after **him** before Larxene realizes that **he** is not interested in Larxene? "What do you want?" **he** growls, turning only **his** head toward Larxene, but keeping close to _**her**_.

"That's Kairi, right?" Larxene asks, gesturing toward _**her**_. Larxene looks unconcerned with _**her**_ presense, but Larxene's eyes show that Larxene is furious that _**she**_ is here.

"That's what they keep telling me," **he** answers. "Why?"

Larxene looks at **him** like **he** is stupid. "Vexen has been looking all over for _**her**_! And Sora, too. Help me take them to him."

**He** sighs. Vexen is a crazy, creepy, mad scientist, and **he** does all **he** can to avoid confrontations with Vexen. But **he** can't avoid this one. "Fine," **he** growls. **He** turns back to _**her**_, and _**she**_ looks up at **him** in fear and apprehension.

**He** smirks and grabs _**her**_ wrist, pulling _**her**_ close to **him**. _**She**_ lets out a small sound of surprise as _**she**_ is pressed against **his** chest by **his** arm behind her back, but otherwise doesn't try to get away. **He** is glad of this; it's very annoying when they struggle.

But _**she**_ does something **he** does not expect. "Demyx!" _**she**_ cries, and a shadow portal opens up near _**her**_.

Demyx steps out and _**she**_ wrestles herself free of **his** grip. _**She**_ tackles Demyx hard, and as Demyx goes down, Demyx conjures a shadow portal on the ground, which they are sucked up into.

"Dammit!" **he** curses, raking a hand through **his** hair.

Larxene watches **him** with a smirk, which instantly disappears as **he** locks eyes with Larxene. "Whatever," Larxene says, shrugging, picking up the unconscious Sora. "I'll take him while you find _**her**_, okay?"

**He** says nothing, but the message is understood. Larxene disappears into the shadows, and **he** is left to find _**her**_ on **his** own.

_**----DarknessisLight----LightisDarkness----DarknessisLight----LightisDarkness----**_

It is not long before **he** finds _**her**_. Demyx has left, and of course Demyx took _**her**_ to Demyx's room.

**He** appears in the room and finds _**her**_ nestled in the sheets of Demyx's bed, holding a pillow close, crying into it. _**Her**_ eyes dart to **his** when _**she**_ hears the shadows, and _**she**_ jumps out of the bed.

"What do you want now?" _**she**_ asks. **He** can still hear the tears in _**her**_ voice, as if _**her**_ heart itself is crying.

"Just come with me, dammit," **he** commands, holding out **his** hand.

A flowered Keyblade appears in _**her**_ hands. "Why should I?" _**she**_ snarls defiantly.

_**She**_ has a Keyblade? **He** raises an eyebrow. Suddenly _**she**_ is very interesting. "What do you expect to do with that?" **he** asks.

_**She**_ says nothing in return, only runs at **him** with the Keyblade pointed straight at **his** chest.

**He** easily grabs the blade and twists it up to the ceiling. _**She**_ lets out a yelp as _**her**_ wrist is twisted, but does not let go. **He** pulls _**her**_ close and summons a shadow portal, and they appear in Vexen's laboratory.

Sora lays on an operating table, and Vexen stands over Sora, examining Sora intently. Larxene leans against a wall, watching the scene with uninterest.

_**She**_ gasps as _**she**_ sees Sora laying there, and wriggles free of **his** grip once more. _**She**_ runs toward Sora, the Keyblade appearing in _**her**_ hands again. "Get away from him!" _**she**_ cries, slashing at Vexen.

Vexen grabs the Keyblade as easily as **he** did and eyes _**her**_ curiously. "Strange, but promising," Vexen mutters to himself.

_**She**_ grinds _**her**_ teeth together and jumps back, letting go of the blade, only to have it disappear from Vexen's hands and into _**her**_ own once more.

Vexen nods to **him**, and **he** comes up behind _**her**_. **He** grabs _**her**_ arms and twists them behind _**her**_ back, forcing _**her**_ to drop the Keyblade.

"Let go of me!" _**she**_ screams, and kicks at **him**.

**He** snarls and spins _**her**_ around, keeping _**her**_ arms behind _**her**_ back. **He** pushes _**her**_ against the edge of a table to keep _**her**_ there, pressing as close as possible to make sure _**she**_ doesn't kick **him**.

_**She**_ struggles and screams all the way through Vexen's operation, but by the end even **he** can tell _**she**_'s exhausted. _**She**_ is trying too hard to keep her eyes open, but _**she**_ still manages to pin **him** with a furious glare as Vexen finishes up. "I can't believe I loved you," _**she**_ whispers, then falls limp.

**He** is stunned. **He** can't help it; **he** drops _**her**_, and _**she**_ falls to the ground. Larxene and Vexen look at **him** in confusion, but **he** hardly notices.

Vexen orders Larxene to take _**her**_ somewhere else for safekeeping until it is time to use _**her**_ in an experiment, then disappears somewhere. Larxene tries to talk to **him**, but after many failed attempts, Larxene disappears as well, taking _**her**_ with Larxene.

_**She**__ loved me,_ **he** thinks, over and over again. _**She**__ loved me, __**she**__ loved me, __**she**__ loved me..._

_I have to remember __**her**__._

_**----DarknessisLight----LightisDarkness----DarknessisLight----LightisDarkness----**_

**He** finds _**her**_ in a holding cell. It's too like Larxene to leave guests ill-attended; **he** figured_**she**_'d be stuck in here.

**He** appears inside _**her**_ cell, and kneels down next to _**her**_. "Kairi," **he** says, shaking _**her**_ shoulders slightly, just enough to try and wake_** her**_ up. "Kairi! Kairi, please wake up!"

_**She**_ lets a moan pass through _**her**_ soft lips as _**she**_ slowly opens her eyes. But as soon as _**her**_ eyes rest on **him**, the anger returns. _**She**_ sits up and scoots away from him. "What do you want, Axel?" _**she**_ says, every word dripping with hate.

**He** cringes. "I just wanna talk," **he** replies gently, but moves no closer.

"Fine then," _**she**_ spits. "Talk."

"I'm sorry," **he** blurts out. After **he** begins, it just keeps coming. "I'm sorry that I hit you, I'm sorry about forgetting you, I'm sorry for hurting you and your friends, and I'm sorry you're here. I'm sorry I stopped you from saving Sora, and I'm sorry you don't love me anymore. But Kairi..." **He** moves closer to _**her**_, unable to read the expression on _**her**_ face, but at least _**she**_ doesn't back away. "Kairi, I don't know what this... _feeling_ is. It's like a weight on my chest that won't go away, but whenever you're around it feels lighter than air. Like it's flying. And when you said you loved me... the feeling just grew and grew... and I had to find you. I have to remember you, Kairi. I don't know a lot of things for sure, but..." By this time, **he** is kneeling next to _**her**_, hardly a nose away from _**her**_ face. "I know that I wanna know you. I know that I like being around you. I know that I never want to see you sad, or angry with me. And when I hit you, I know that I didn't mean to do it, and I know that it will never, _never_ happen again." **He** strokes _**her**_ cheek with **his** hand and traces **his** eyes over _**her**_ face, memorizing it, in case _**she**_ doesn't accept **his** apologies. "Please, Kairi..." **He** closes **his** eyes and leans forward, resting **his** forehead on _**hers**_. "I think..." **he** whispers, barely a breath. "I think I love you."

When **he** opens **his** eyes, there are tears gathering in _**hers**_. **He** is afraid **he**'s upset _**her**_ until **he** sees the smile on _**her**_ face.

_**She**_ swallows and holds back the tears threatening to fall. "Oh, Axel," _**she**_ gasps, _**her**_ voice shaking from _**her**_ sobs of happiness. "I knew it. I knew you loved me."

**He** smiles, feeling **his** own eyes well up in tears. "I do," **he** breathes, and presses **his** lips against _**hers**_. **His** chest flutters at the feeling; it feels so right to kiss _**her**_. **He** pulls away and wraps _**her**_ in **his** arms, holding _**her**_ tight against **his** chest. **He** runs **his** fingers through _**her**_ hair as _**she**_ cries tears of joy and love and relief onto **his** shoulder, and whispers in _**her**_ ear. "I love you, Kairi," **he** says. "I love you so much. I'll never stop loving you."

**He** hears a laugh bubble up from _**her**_ sobs and _**she**_ hugs **him** tighter. **He** smiles brighter than **he** has in what feels like ages. "You'll help me remember, won't you, Kairi? Help me remember how we used to be. I can learn everything about you again, and it'll be just like before. I promise. Would you like that?"

_**She**_ nods enthusiastically, lifting _**her**_ head up and wiping away _**her**_ tears. _**She**_ laughs in between sobs, a wide smile still plastered on _**her**_ face. "Yes," _**she**_ answers shakily as **he** pulls back wet strands of _**her**_ hair sticking to _**her**_ face. "Yes, I'd love it."

"Then that's what we'll do," **he** promises. "Anything you want, and it's done, my love." **He** kisses _**her**_ forehead. "My dear." _**Her**_ cheek. "My angel." _**Her**_ other cheek. "My princess." _**Her**_ nose. "My girl." **He** gazes at _**her**_ fondly for one moment before standing up, sweeping _**her**_ up off her feet with **him** and blowing _**her**_ worries and tears away with one passionate kiss. **He** spins _**her**_ around, _**her**_ feet flying through the air, and **he** can't think of a time when **he**'d been more happy.

It's the truth that beauty can never be free. But beauty is not meant to be free. Beauty would not be beauty if it was free. But beauty can be found in all things, free or captive. It is in the wind, in the trees, in the song of a wildbird. In the laughter of a child, the smile of an elder, the embrace of a mother or father. In a melody, a story, or even a word. Or, in this case, beauty can be found in the love... between the light and the darkness. And that love will never fade, never dull, and never die. That love will withstand even the toughest trials of time, and it will stand strong, knowing that its beauty will always be known, for it will never be lost. And that is because it is never free.


End file.
